News Archive

Hurricane Ivan made landfall Sept. 16, 2004, just west of Navarre as a Category 3 storm. Ivan packed winds of 120 mph sustained and a historic storm surge, according to the National Weather Service.

Coastal areas from Mobile to Destin felt the brunt of Ivan’s wrath; aerial photographs taken days after the storm showed much smaller barrier islands (including Santa Rosa Island, which lost virtually all of its dunes and beaches).

At the Sept. 11 Memorial Stair Climb, firefighters had to climb 110 floors worth of stairs in honor of the first responders who climbed the stairwells of the World Trade Center 21 years ago. The firefighters came from across Northwest Florida. Navarre Beach, Holley Navarre, Midway, Pensacola, Panama City, Crestview and a few other fire departments were present.

The City of Gulf Breeze celebrated its new public safety project Wednesday, September 6, by hosting a ceremony at the construction site of the Police Station and City Services Annex on FairPoint Drive.

The new Police Station will include space for dispatch and a city services annex for utility billing and customer service operations. The Public Safety Campus currently includes the fire station, which was redeveloped in 2005.

On Sun., Sept. 25, Preserve Navarre will release updates to its feasibility study and release a city charter which declares home rule for Navarre. Preserve Navarre, founded in 2021, has been working towards incorporating Navarre, something that has failed the past couple times it was tried.

Months after Cassie Carli’s body was found in a barn in Alabama, autopsy results have not been released. For the Carli family, the wait to find out exactly what happened to their loved one has been “agonizing.”

Carli went missing on March 27 following a custody exchange with her ex-boyfriend, Marcus Spanevelo, for their four-year-old daughter, Saylor. The exchange took place in the boat ramp parking lot on Navarre Beach near Juana’s. It was the last place she was seen alive.

Many people remember Sept. 11, 2001. Where they were. What they were doing. How they saw it.

While most watched that day’s events from various places around the country and world, Rich LaGrua saw it up close and personal.

Santa Rosa County Animal Services (SRCAS) and Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to save the lives of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, are teaming up for another adoption campaign to encourage people to choose to adopt, not buy, their next pet.

“We’ve seen an influx in our homeless animal population over the last year or so, right in line with nationwide trends, we’re hoping these reduced adoption fees will encourage more adoptions and find homes for some of our long-time residents,” Dr. Megan Arevalo, SRCAS Veterinarian, said.

Santa Rosa County will resume its recycling program Wed., Sept. 21, dependent on ECUA reopening their recycling facility on Mon., Sept. 26. To help ensure it is successful, county staff will be taking extra steps to ensure collected recyclables are not contaminated with non-recyclable garbage. Staff will visually inspect each load of recyclable materials to ensure it will be accepted by ECUA’s processing facility.

WastePro (franchised waste hauler for the county) will resume its recycling program on Mon., Sept. 26. Residents who utilize non-franchised haulers are encouraged to reach out to them regarding any changes in their recycling program.

The proposed Navarre Town Center has a new look.

A rendering by DAG Architects from August reveals several updates to the town center concept, which Bob Benaquis, owner of TC’s Front Porch, has been working on with architects and other developers. Benaquis has been trying to get a town center for Navarre for over a decade but has only recently gained traction in moving ahead with plans.

The biggest update to the Navarre Town Center is the idea of having a pedestrian walkover to connect Navarre Park to the north side of Highway 98, where the town center would be.

If you went to Navarre High School at any point in time, then you are likely familiar with Julia Stapleton. She spent the past 39 years teaching around 8,000 students. Stapleton, who is originally from Illinois, moved to Florida in 1982 and began teaching in 1983.

Stapleton spent the last 26 years at Navarre High, mostly as an art teacher and later as a department chair. She was the third person hired at the school when it first opened back in 1996.